September 26, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Unemployment insurance claims due to mass layoffs, August 2005

California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in August (19,530), mostly in motion picture and sound recording industries and professional and technical services.

[Chart data—TXT]

New York had the next highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events, with 6,164 initial claims, followed by Kentucky (3,954) and Georgia (3,488). These four states accounted for 49 percent of the 67,582 claims for unemployment insurance filed in August.

From August 2004 to August 2005, Florida and New York had the largest over-the-year decreases in the number of initial claims. The largest over-the-year increases occurred in Kentucky and Georgia.

These data are from the Mass Layoff Statistics program. To learn more about workers separated from their jobs in mass layoff events see Mass Layoffs in August 2005 (PDF) (TXT), 05-1772. These data are not seasonally adjusted, and are preliminary and subject to revision. The August 2005 reference period for the Mass Layoff Statistics program was prior to Hurricane Katrina making landfall. Therefore, the August data do not reflect the impact of the storm.